PEN International Day of the Imprisoned Writer

Thursday 14 November 2019
4:15 pm 7:15 pm 16:15 19:15

The Wheeler Centre 176 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne, VIC, 3000 Australia (map)

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PEN International Day of the Imprisoned Writer with Samah Sabawi
Melbourne, VIC

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Writers and journalists are often among the first citizens targeted and punished by autocratic leaders. With creeping authoritarianism and instability in many regions around the world, it's an increasingly dangerous time for writers of all kinds.

On the eve of PEN International's Day of the Imprisoned Writer, we'll hold a special panel event as part of our Writers in Exile series to discuss old and emerging threats to literary freedoms today.

Host Sami Shah will welcome back the three writers who have shared their personal stories of exile – journalist Roza Germian, playwright Samah Sabawi and playwright and poet Mammad Aidani – for the last conversation in the series. They'll discuss their own experiences and their knowledge of press and literary restriction in their respective home countries. They'll talk, too, about the role Australia can and should play on the international stage with regards to protecting and protesting the freedom of writers here and overseas.

Join us as we talk free minds, free words and free expression today.

Presented in partnership with PEN Melbourne.

This event will be Auslan interpreted.